How to Fix a Bed Pole

Surface Damage

• 1

  Paint a coat of furniture scratch cover over scratches with a rag or cotton swab.

• 2

  Fill in deep scratches, nicks and gouges with a colored wood putty that matches the color of the finished wood. Press the colored wood putty into the damage and build it up slightly higher than the surface of the bed pole. Let the wood putty set for three to four hours.

• 3

  Sand the surface of the wood putty repair with 320-grit sandpaper to blend it in with existing wood. Apply a coat of scratch cover over the repair putty to hide the patch.

Bed Pole Joints

• 4

  Remove the canopy from the bed poles and set it to the side, if the bed has a canopy.

• 5

  Gain access to bolts or screws that secure the bed pole to the bed. Loosen and remove screws with a power screwdriver. Fit an adjustable wrench over nuts and turn them to the left to loosen and remove. Twist glued bed poles out of the joint by hand, or wrap a rag around the base of the bed pole and tighten a pipe wrench over the rag. Forcefully twist the wrench to break the glue bond and remove the bed pole.

• 6

  Sand the base of the bed pole and inside of the joint with 220-grit sandpaper to remove dried glue.

• 7

  Apply a coat of aliphatic glue, known as yellow wood glue, to the base of the bed pole and inside the bed pole joint if you have a short bed pole. If the bed pole is tall or holds up a canopy, mix two-part plastic-resin glue or two-part epoxy glue, and coat the base of the bed pole and inside the bed pole joint with it. Set the bed pole into the joint and tighten the screws or bolts. If there is a gap between the bed pole and the joint, coat wood shims with glue and force them into the gaps to secure the pole in place.

• 8

  Position a web clamp over the top of the bed pole, down the length and under the base of the pole. Tighten the web clamp to put pressure on the joint and hold the pole securely in place while the glue dries.

Broken Bed Poles

• 9

  Remove the canopy from the bed if the bed has a canopy. Remove the bed pole from the bed with a power screwdriver or adjustable wrench.

• 10

  Take off loose pieces of wood by hand. Set large loose pieces to the side.

• 11

  Measure and mark the center of each bed pole. Equip a power drill with a 1/2-inch drill bit. Drill a 1/2-inch-diameter hole 3 inches deep in the center of each broken half of the bed pole. Cut a 1/2-inch dowel 6 inches long with a utility knife.

• 12

  Fill each hole with plastic-resin glue or epoxy glue. Insert the dowel into the drilled hole and tap it in place with a mallet. Coat the face of the broken surfaces with plastic-resin glue or epoxy glue. Fit the second half of the bed pole over the dowel. Tap the top of the bed pole with a mallet to guide the dowel in place. Wipe away oozing wood glue with a damp rag.

• 13

  Clamp the two halves of the bed pole together with a web clamp. Let the wood glue dry for 10 to 12 hours. Remove the web clamp. Coat the large splintered pieces of wood with wood glue and set them in place on the bed pole. Wipe away excess glue with a damp rag. Place a hose clamp around the repair and tighten it. Let the glue dry for 10 to 12 hours. Fill in depressions and gouges with colored wood putty. Let the wood putty dry for three to four hours. Sand the repair surface smooth with 320-grit sandpaper. Apply furniture scratch cover to conceal the repair.

Split Bed Poles

• 14

  Remove the canopy and bed pole from the bed.

• 15

  Pick off splintered pieces of wood by hand.

• 16

  Paint a coat of plastic-resin or epoxy glue to both halves of the split bed pole. Wipe glue off the joined seams with a damp rag.

• 17

  Align both halves and join them together. Place hose clamps every 6 inches along the length of the bed pole and tighten the clamps with a screwdriver. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours before removing the clamps.